


Unloved

by Donya



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Asgardian Tony Stark, Fluff, Gen, Loki Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-19
Updated: 2014-03-19
Packaged: 2018-01-16 07:50:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1337746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donya/pseuds/Donya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Asgardian prince Loki feels unloved and worse than his perfect brother. Anthony, a guard, has seen how others treat Loki and when he finds Loki in tears, he decides to have a little conversation with the boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unloved

At first Anthony thought it was a cat, a little injured cat. He heard strange whimpers coming from the river bank, from behind thick shrubs. Something was hiding there and making all those pathetic little noises. Curious, he came closer, not caring about the scratches the thorns left on his legs. What he saw startled him to the point of losing his speech for a moment.

It was the younger prince, Loki. The boy, with that pale face and black hair, was strange, everyone knew that, there was something odd about him. As if he didn't belong in Asgard, some said that he was a bastard child abandoned at the gates of the palace, in hope that the royal family would take pity on him. His big green eyes watched everything cautiously, he never talked much, he just observed, perhaps to learn the habits of Asgardians, to blend in.

Anthony never believed that. He was a guard in the palace, not once and not twice did he see the older prince and his friends teasing Loki, running away from him. Children, they were innocent and certainly had no idea how hurtful such behaviour could be for someone as alienated as Loki. Did not even suspect how strongly it could affect the poor little princeling.

He found Loki crying at the river, just outside the city. The boy was all alone and that's why he finally showed some emotions. His sobbing was hard to hear, so much pain in it. He was sitting on the ground, his clothing dirty and torn. His forehead pressed to bent knees, tousled hair additionally hiding his face.

'My prince,' Anthony said softly, not wanting to scare him. Loki twitched and raised his head. As expected, his face was covered in red blotches, wet with tears and puffy from crying. He looked younger than he was, a little boy. 'Are you unwell? Did something happen? Are you injured?'

Loki shook his head and looked away, hopelessly trying to calm down and stop crying but his chest was still heaving and the tears were unending. Poor child, he flushed deeper red, most likely because of embarrassment. He was already taunted for his unmanly behaviour by his strict father. Anthony heard the yelling, the Allfather would reprimand the younger son for wasting his time on magic, instead of practicing fighting. The boy could barely lift a sword, not to mention using it correctly, much to Odin's dismay. Luckily, Loki was not the heir, yet still, he was a disappointment.

'It's getting dark, your family must be worried about you. Give me your hand, let's go back, while we still can see the path.'

Loki sniffed and rubbed his eyes, smearing tears and dirt.

'I'm not coming back,' he announced firmly, although his voice was shaking. He avoided Anthony's gaze, ashamed of his state.

'What do you mean? Surely your father would miss you greatly. And your mother-'

'No, they won't even notice I'm gone,' Loki heard himself and sobbed again, struck by a new wave of self-pity. 'They don't care about me. Neither does Thor.'

There was some truth in his bitter words, Anthony admitted reluctantly. The second son, always less important, never good enough. Competing with the perfect heir had to be difficult. Thor was brave and strong, he made his father proud, the firstborn turned out to be almost flawless. While Loki was too thin, too small, too emotional.

'Nonsense,' Anthony lied smoothly and sat next to the boy, keeping some distance. He wanted to earn the prince's trust and somehow help him get through that difficult time. 'They love you.'

'No, they don't. They only love Thor, only care about him. Everyone sees only Thor,' Loki sounded resigned, knowing that it was a lost battle, nothing he could do would change the situation. He would never be equal to Thor. Anthony felt sorry for the poor prince who just had to learn the hard lesson- some people are only shadows, unnoticed, unappreciated.

'That's not true, you're loved, my prince.'

'Thor's friends only make fun of me, right in front of him and he never takes my side.'

'Did they do this to you?' Anthony pointed to Loki's clothes.

'They pushed me and I fell into mud,' Loki sobbed out, the painful memory still fresh. 'And these thorns torn my breeches.'

'It's not something to cry about. I'm sure you have many more breeches. Now, clean your face and let's go, you'll miss the supper.'

Loki hesitated but the vision of going to bed hungry helped him decide and he dipped his hands into the cold water and washed his face and arms. To avoid more tearing, Anthony picked him up and crossed the thorny shrubs, holding Loki close. The prince didn't protest, Anthony thought that it wasn't often that the boy was taken care of, hugged or comforted. The boy was probably still too young to understand the concept of tough love.

'Everything is going to be all right,' Anthony wanted to think it was not a lie. 'You'll get along with your brother's friends, eventually.'

Loki swayed when he put him down, as though he wanted to stay in Anthony's arms and shyly gripped the guard's hand. They walked in silence, slowly, Loki stopped before the gates and looked up at Anthony with those wide, sad eyes.

'Can I stay at your place?'

 


End file.
